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In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

Written by:
Erik Larson
Narrated by:
Stephen Hoye

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
90
Narrator
21
Release Date
May 10, 2011
Duration
12 hours 53 minutes
Summary
“Larson is a marvelous writer...superb at creating characters with a few short strokes.”—New York Times Book Review
  
Erik Larson has been widely acclaimed as a master of narrative non-fiction, and in his new book, the bestselling author of Devil in the White City turns his hand to a remarkable story set during Hitler’s rise to power.
 
The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history.
 
A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany,” she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition.
 
Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming--yet wholly sinister--Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror.
Reviews
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Anonymous

great read/listen

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Katherine N.

This is one of my favorite non-fiction books. Loving historical novels, I am impressed with how Erik Larson digs deep in his research to create a novel-like story that captivates the reader. In this particular book, he explores the rise of Hitler in ways not seen in previous histories of Hitler and his followers. My mother grew up in Nazi Germany, and I always look for writers who can give us a new way to look at this important event in history. To me this is one of the best writers with one of the most unique books on this era.

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Anonymous

So interesting!

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Anonymous

excellent

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Jeannie F.

As someone who who loves to learn about the WWII, I enjoyed it. But...it was a dry read.

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